Donnie Dunagan, the original voice of Bambi, dies at 92
By Fuzzy Mushroom · Published
Donnie Dunagan, who voiced the young Bambi in Disney's 1942 classic and played Peter von Frankenstein opposite Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone in Son of Frankenstein (1939), has died of lung cancer aged 92, film historian Tom Weaver reported. Walt Disney's studio called his family to help put 'a child's expression on a deer', and Bambi was his last film before a 25-year career in the US Marines, where he earned three Purple Hearts and never told his comrades about his Disney past. Decades later he became an ambassador for the film, and he is survived by his wife, Dana.
Bambi or Son of Frankenstein — which was your first Donnie Dunagan film?
How solid is this story?
Spore Score for the story: 84 (Rock solid). Status: Confirmed. On the record: Death reported by film historian Tom Weaver, carried by The Hollywood Reporter.
The films
- Son of Frankenstein (1939): Spore Score 82, The Pros 88 vs The Punters 75
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter: Donnie Dunagan, Original Voice of Bambi, Dies at 92 (9 November 2026)
- Laughing Place: Donnie Dunagan, Voice of Bambi, Dies at 92 (9 November 2026)
- Daily Star: Original voice of Disney's Bambi dies aged 92 as tributes pour in for Hollywood star (9 November 2026)
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